National Library Week (April 11-17, 2010) is an annual occasion set aside to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians. On the floors of Congress this week Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas declared "While our libraries hold the materials, it is our librarians that often hold the key. Librarians are the caring and accessible individuals who lead us on that adventure to knowledge." To illustrate that point, let me relate two recent personal experiences.

Vermont History Day, sponsored by the Vermont Historical Society, and held in March at Spaulding High School in Barre, brought together middle and high-school students from across the state to showcase their history projects. As a judge for the competition I was impressed by the students and their projects and was struck by the role that libraries - school, public and academic- had played. Students used school libraries to do their initial research, branched out to their public libraries and some visited college libraries. The students dug deep, with the help of librarians and teachers, to find primary source materials in books, photographs, archives and on the internet. The second experience came as a result of being a judge for the national Letters About Literature competition, sponsored by the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. In every case, these young readers had been deeply touched by a book - fiction, non-fiction or poetry. Their letters to authors spoke to the power of books, and also to the adults who had introduced them to these books. Apart from the pleasure of judging, I was heartened that another generation has discovered the wonders of literature and was reminded yet again that libraries are essential for the healthy growth and development of the youngest of our citizens. Without access to these library collections - and the assistance of librarians - the learning experience of these students would have been much diminished. This is what we librarians do every day: we make connections between readers - young and old - and the written word. We believe in the power of books and information, and know that the work we do can change lives, though most of us will never know the impact that we have on individual library users. It is with this in mind, that I salute the librarians and library workers in Vermont. Happy National Library Week!Martha Reid

New Assistant State
Librarian Hired

State
Librarian Martha Reid is pleased to announce that Christine Friese of Worcester, Massachusetts
has been hired as Assistant State Librarian. Christine is a graduate of Bennington College
and has an MLS from the University of Illinois and an MA in Italian from Ohio State University. She has worked in public
libraries in Bexley, Ohio
and Bedford, Massachusetts and most recently worked as a
Business Analyst in the private sector. As Assistant State Librarian, Christine
will head the Library Development Division. Her first day of work is May 3.

After years of hard work and fund-raising the Morristown
Centennial Library celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony for Phase 1 of their Addition & Renovation
Project on April 5. Morristown Centennial Library was built in 1913, with a
grant of $7,000 from the Carnegie Library Foundation, the last of four Carnegie
public libraries built in Vermont.
The new addition will double the size of the current library and will provide
space for children's services, a meeting room, and public computers. Plenty of
townspeople, library staff and trustees, and dignitaries were on hand,
including Governor Jim Douglas, Senator Susan Bartlett, and Speaker of the
House Shap Smith.

Federal Stimulus Grant Applications:

An Update

Martha Reid at The Community Broadband Project Press Conference

We
have some good news to report concerning two applications for stimulus funds in
the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP): 1. Give
a big cheer for the BTOP award of $2.5 million to the Vermont Council on Rural
Development (VCRD) for their application in the Broadband Sustainable Adoption
category! The Department of Libraries (DOL) is a grant project partner and
State Librarian Martha Reid has been part of the team that has worked for over
a year towards this successful award. Other project partners include Vermont State Colleges, VT Small Business Development Center, Front
Porch Forum, Digital Wish. Read more.

2010 Public Library
Statistical Report Now Available

The
Vermont
Public Library Statistics, 2010 Annual Report is now available online at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/stats/plstats.
At that site librarians, trustees, and others can read the complete report in
pdf format and can also see the statistics in excel spreadsheet format. The
spreadsheet is more comprehensive and includes all of the raw data from which
the Report was drawn. Librarians and trustees are encouraged to use this
data from FY2009 to evaluate service in their own libraries and also to compare
service measures with other libraries in the state. Copies of the printed
report will be available for librarians and trustees who attend the Town
Officer's Conferences scheduled this month throughout the state. Library
Directors who do not attend one of these conferences and want a print copy
of the report should contact Renee Ancel at: renee.ancel@state.vt.us. Read more.

Northeast Regional
Library to Close

In a letter sent to school and public libraries in March,
DOL announced the decision to close the Northeast Regional Library (NERL) in
St. Johnsbury for good on July 3, 2010. DOL employees

will work for the next several months
to get ready the NERL book collection for a move and consolidation with the
last remaining regional library collection at the Midstate Library in Berlin.

For
one year only, Library Advocacy Day will replace National Library Legislative
Day. On June 29 library advocates from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. will meet at Upper Senate
Park on the U.S. Capitol
grounds. The event, which will begin at 11 a.m., will feature guest
speakers and a chance to cheer on libraries! After the rally,
participants will meet with their elected officials and their staffs. If
you plan to attend the annual American Library Association Conference in June
then schedule a visit to the Capitol Grounds on the morning of June 29.

Governor Signs Proclamation

Governor Jim Douglas was at the Aldrich Library
in Barre on April 12 to sign a proclamation declaring April 11-17, 2010 as
"National Library Week" in Vermont. Read more.

Courtesy of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation

Check Out! The Great
Outdoors

Good
news for day trippers this summer: the State Parks/public library program is
alive and expanding. In late May, the Department of Libraries will send out to libraries two free
passes, one for state parks and (new this year!) one for state historic sites.
Each pass admits up to eight people traveling in the same vehicle. And for the
first time, State Parks officials agreed that Vermont colleges which lend materials
to local residents also qualify for a free parks pass. Read more.

Booktalks Featured on "Across the Fence"

In celebration of National Library Week Lorrie Colburn of the Fletcher Free Library in
Burlington and Amy Howlett of the Vermont Department of Libraries talked about several of their favorite books on
the the UVM Extension television program, "Across
the Fence". Watch the clip.

Cataloging
Different Formats:

Help for Librarians

There
are a number of resources available via the internet to help librarians catalog
library materials in a variety of formats. Most of these resources can be
located on the DOL Technical Services webpage at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/tsu.
Guidelines and "how to" manuals on cataloging different formats are found on
the Cooperative Cataloging Rules website under the "Subject/Specialized
Manuals" link at: http://sites.google.com/site/opencatalogingrules/cataloging-ru.
Manuals include guidelines as well as sample MARC records for cataloging music,
DVDs, streaming media, electronic editions, reproductions, integrating
resources, and cultural objects to mention a few. The "Cataloging Cheat Sheets"
by J. McRee Elrod are also helpful and are available from the Canadian Special
Libraries Cataloguing website at: http://www.slc.bc.ca/cheats/.

Green
Mountain Book Award News
(Vermont's
high school book award)

The
Green Mountain Book Award committee has selected the new 2010-2011 master list, with
15 great books for teens. The student voting deadline for this year is May 7. Both
the master list and the voting forms are available on the DOL website at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/gmba

There
will be three openings on the GMBA committee for the upcoming year. If you love
to read young adult books, and enjoy passionate discussions about books and
teens, consider applying. To apply, send a letter of interest, a resume and two
reviews of young adult books of your choice, one positive and one negative, to
Grace Greene at: grace.greene@state.vt.usby June 1, 2009. (Email applications are preferred.)

Get
Creative @ Saving for College: Reading and Savings

What
do kids need to go to college? The two most important things are good grades
and enough money. Libraries already help enormously with the first, since
reading helps children get good grades, and now, in the summer, libraries can
help with the second. Working with TIAA-CREF (which specializes in financial
services for the education world), and with the Vermont Student Assistance
Corporation (VSAC), DOL co-sponsored a program last summer that gave four lucky
Vermont
children $1,000 each towards college savings. Read more.

For
the second year in a row, the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River
Junction has donated a full scholarship to the Department of Libraries so a Vermont teen can attend
their one week "Make Comics" workshop this summer. This scholarship is for any Vermont student age 16
or older (must be 16 years old by June 1, 2010). The workshop will take place
in White River Junction July 12-16, 2010. Lodging is not included, but there is
a very inexpensive hostel option at the Hotel Coolidge.Read more.

Spring
2010 Winnie Belle Learned Grants

Dr. Rawson, our fabulous benefactor from Essex, has asked us to do
another round of Winnie Belle Learned grants this spring. The Winnie Belle
Learned Fund also supports DOL's part of the Early Literacy Initiative (ELI)
that we are kicking off in May with thirty libraries attending a two day
training.Read more.

Vermont Librarian Honored as "Mover & Shaker"

Congratulations to Stephanie Chase, Director of the
Stowe Free Library, for being named one of Library
Journal's "Movers & Shakers 2010!"
In the March 15 issue, Library
Journal (LJ) recognizes Stephanie as a "Community Builder." Vermont librarians know her as founder of the Green Mountain Library Consortium, launched in 2008
with the introduction of "Listen Up! Vermont."
For more information go to: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6721861.html

ONLY COMPLETE ARTICLES BEYOND THIS POINT

Federal Stimulus Grant
Applications: An Update

We
have some good news to report concerning two applications for stimulus funds in
the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP):
1.
Give
a big cheer for the BTOP award of $2.5 million to the Vermont Council on Rural
Development (VCRD) for their application in the Broadband Sustainable Adoption
category! The Department of Libraries (DOL) is a grant project partner and
State Librarian Martha Reid has been part of the team that has worked for over
a year towards this successful award. Other project partners include Vermont State Colleges, VT Small Business Development Center, Front
Porch Forum, Digital Wish. The grant will fund e-Vermont; The Vermont Community Broadband Project to help 24
selected Vermont towns develop online services and computing opportunities for
local businesses, local government and community organizations, including
public libraries. To be considered for this project, towns must apply to VCRD
by April 30. More information is available at: http://www.vtrural.org/
2.
The
Vermont Telecommunications Authority submitted in March a BTOP application in
the Comprehensive Community Infrastructure category. DOL joined other partners
on this Vermont Fiber Link project which, if funded, will bring fiber optic
cable to over 342 "community anchor institutions" in the state, including
schools, hospitals, colleges, health care providers, and 53 public libraries. Project
partners include Sovernet, VT Department of Education, VT Law School, VT State
Colleges, VT Department of Information and Innovation, and others. DOL has been
in contact with the public libraries in the targeted service area and thanks
the librarians and trustees who submitted letters of commitment for this grant
application. The Department of Libraries was able to bring $399,000 in matching
funds to this application, courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
DOL was one of 14 state library agencies to be awarded matching money for BTOP
applications from the Gates Foundation. The Round Two BTOP Grant awards will be
announced sometime after September 1. Keep your fingers crossed!

The
Vermont
Public Library Statistics, 2010 Annual Report is now available online at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/stats/plstats. At that site librarians, trustees, and others can read the complete report in
pdf format and can also see the statistics in excel spreadsheet format. The
spreadsheet is more comprehensive and includes all of the raw data from which
the Report was drawn. Librarians and trustees are encouraged to use this
data from FY2009 to evaluate service in their own libraries and also to compare
service measures with other libraries in the state. Copies of the printed
report will be available for librarians and trustees who attend the Town
Officer's Conferences scheduled this month throughout the state. Library
Directors who do not attend one of these conferences and want a print copy
of the report should contact Renee Ancel at: renee.ancel@state.vt.us.

Highlights from the report:

There
are 183 public libraries in the state; Vermont ranks first in the nation in the
number of libraries per capita. 98% of Vermont's citizens have public library
service available in their towns or by contract (formal or informal) with
another town's library.

Overall,
public library usage increased in FY2009:

·Total
number of visits to libraries increased by 1.6% to 3,844,828

·Total
number of registered borrowers increased by 8% to 355,775

·Attendance
at library programs increased by 7.5% to 350,428

Access
to free public computers is increasingly important for local citizens:

There
are 923 public computers available in libraries across the state

170
libraries offer public access to the internet; 94% of these libraries
offer high speed internet access

In a letter sent to school and public libraries in March,
DOL announced the decision to close the Northeast Regional Library (NERL) in
St. Johnsbury for good on July 3, 2010. DOL employees will work for the next several
months to get ready the NERL book collection for a move and consolidation with the
last remaining regional library collection at the Midstate Library in Berlin. The NERL building will be turned
over to the State of Vermont
by June 30, 2011. DOL will also weed the book collection at the Midstate
Library in Berlin
to prepare for the consolidation. The books in the Midstate Library are
currently available only via interlibrary loan, but DOL will re-open the
library to school and public libraries no later than January 2011 under the new
name of Midstate Library Service Center (MLSC). MLSC will house the
consolidated general book collection, the DOL computer training lab, a
conference/meeting room, and the Special Services Unit, including the Library
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. All DOL circulating book collections are available via
interlibrary loan. However, there will be times between now and September 2011
when some parts of the regional book collections will not be available. We will
make sure to send out announcements about any temporary restrictions.
Librarians and trustees can get more information by
attending a meeting at the Northeast Regional Library on May 4, 9:30 am - noon.
RSVP by calling 802-748-3428.

Governor Jim Douglas was at the Aldrich Library
in Barre on April 12 to sign a proclamation declaring April 11-17, 2010 as
"National Library Week" in Vermont.

Karen Lane, Director of the
Aldrich Library welcomed the Governor to Barre, and extended an invitation to
all Vermonters to visit their local libraries. "I hope Vermonters will take
time this week to come in and see what the library offers and to explore the
wonderful world of books and reading."

In his remarks Governor Douglas stated
that Vermont's libraries make valuable contributions to the life of our
communities, schools, colleges and universities. "Having a library card is the
best deal in town, especially when economic times are tough. Vermonters are great
library users and know the value of libraries." He also noted that "Vermonters made over 3.8
million visits to Vermont
public libraries last year."

According to State Librarian
Martha Reid of the Vermont Department of Libraries, citizens are using library
computers for all kinds of research and information. "Libraries are critical to
our citizens who are looking for jobs, starting new businesses, researching
educational opportunities, and accessing e-government services. Libraries offer
something for everyone." Today's library makes available a wide variety of
resources and services including cultural and informational programs, services
for children and teens, books, DVDs and audio books for all ages, wireless
access, and outreach services. School and academic libraries make use of new
and emerging technologies and Vermont
students are heavy users of the online information databases in the Vermont Online Library, a resource
available through libraries for citizens statewide.

Good
news for day trippers this summer: the State Parks/public library program is
alive and expanding. In late May, the Department of Libraries will send out to libraries two free
passes, one for state parks and (new this year!) one for state historic sites.
Each pass admits up to eight people traveling in the same vehicle. And for the
first time, State Parks officials agreed that Vermont colleges which lend
materials to local residents also qualify for a free parks pass.

Each
library will determine how long each pass may be checked out. Libraries
choosing to purchase additional passes get a good deal this year: $40.00 for
each additional pass.

For
the first time, Vermont's Historical Sites are offering a pass, too. Visit
Vermont's historical sites like the Calvin Coolidge village or the Bennington
Monument, courtesy of your local public library. Look for both passes in May,
in time for the busiest season, Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Public
libraries also enjoy a free pass to the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center,
at the Leahy Center on Lake Champlain in Burlington. The ECHO provides these
passes through a grant funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

New
list now available
The
hard working Dorothy Canfield Fisher (DCF) committee chose the 30 books for the
new list at the beginning of March. That list, with books nominated for the
2010-2011 school year, is now posted on both the DCF website (www.dcfaward.org) and
the Department of Libraries' website: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/cbec/dcf

Voting
Teachers
and librarians: don't forget to have your students vote -- and then send in
your numbers by April 9! To vote, go to the DCF website: www.dcfaward.organd
enter your votes online. All children in grades 4-8 are welcome to vote,
provided they have read at least 5 books on the list. When the votes are
tallied, we will invite the winning author to come to Vermont for a ceremony. If that person
cannot come, we will invite another author to speak, so there will be a DCF ceremony
this year!

Bookmarks
will also be available at the DCF Conference, the Dynamic Landscapes
Conference, the Vermont Library Association Conference and the DCF ceremony. We
also have plenty of posters and stickers for the winning books. All materials
are free for the asking, printed with funds from the Friends of DCF. For more
information, contact Grace Greene at: grace.greene@state.vt.us

About
80 librarians attended our summer reading program workshops focusing on
activities for children and teens. There were fabulous presenters at both
workshops (Northfield and Bennington) and we have posted their handouts at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/srp/childrenteen

Summer
reading programs aren't just for kids, though! Check out the handouts from Amy Howlett's workshop on adult summer reading
programs and downloadable bookmarks, all on the theme of water: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/srp/adult.

For
more resources for the summer, including a water-related manual to use withpreschoolers (a new initiative),
downloadable signing videos, all the information you need on copyright and
more, go to the website of the Collaborative Summer Reading Program, the
organization that creates all of our summer materials at: www.cslpreads.org. If you are not already a
member, register for complete access by clicking on "create account"; then
complete the registration form, and click on "register" at the bottom of the
page. Watch your email for confirmation.

What
do kids need to go to college? The two most important things are good grades
and enough money. Libraries already help enormously with the first, since
reading helps children get good grades, and now, in the summer, libraries can
help with the second. Working with TIAA-CREF (which specializes in financial
services for the education world), and with the Vermont Student Assistance
Corporation (VSAC), DOL co-sponsored a program last summer that gave four lucky
Vermont
children $1,000 each towards college savings. In addition, the libraries where
the four winners entered the drawing were given a $500 award and an additional
$500 to hold a public program open at which the children received their prizes.
The four lucky winners and their libraries are: Katie Young, a fourth grader who
entered at the Fletcher Free Library, Burlington; Gyury de Nagy, a kindergartner whose library
is the Blake Memorial Library in East Corinth; Livia Bernhardt, a second grader who uses the Brandon Library, and
Ramona Rosenthal a sixth grader who uses the Norman Williams Library in
Woodstock. At the program in Brandon we learned that the winner, Livia
Bernhardt, had decided to give her winnings to another child in the community
who had lost three family members in a tragic snowmobile accident. Because
TIAA-CREF could not legally transfer the prize to another person, VSAC stepped
in to make a $1,000 donation to that family-a very moving a gift on their part.
DOL
will sponsor the same program again this summer, so librarians should watch for
information to come in the mail, and encourage children to enter. This is a
win, win, win program!

For
the second year in a row, the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River
Junction has donated a full scholarship to the Department of Libraries so a Vermont teen can attend
their one week "Make Comics" workshop this summer. This scholarship is for any Vermont student age 16
or older (must be 16 years old by June 1, 2010). The workshop will take place
in White River Junction July 12-16, 2010. Lodging is not included, but there is
a very inexpensive hostel option at the Hotel Coolidge.

Vermonters
interested in the scholarship should apply through the local school or public
library. The only entry requirements are: (1) that the student is at least 16
years old, and (2) the applicant has the ability to attend the entire workshop
in July. Individual libraries may create additional criteria for applicants if
they choose (e.g. read a graphic novel; belong to the Graphic Novel Club at the
library) but that is not necessary. The contest will be conducted through the
library (school or public) and librarians will be responsible for sending in
the entry forms to the Department of Libraries by May 28, 2010. DOL will hold a
drawing at their Montpelier
site and will let the winning student's librarian know the results. The library
where the student filed his/her application will be awarded four graphic novels
from the Center for Cartoon Studies.

Dr. Rawson, our fabulous benefactor from Essex, has asked us to do
another round of Winnie Belle Learned grants this spring. The Winnie Belle
Learned Fund also supports DOL's part of the Early Literacy Initiative (ELI)
that we are kicking off in May with thirty libraries attending a two day
training.
As part of the Vermont Public Library Foundation, the Winnie Belle
Learned Fund was created to foster literacy, love of learning, critical
analysis and intellectual exploration in their communities, among children of
all ages and their families. We welcomes grant applications from libraries for
projects which will meet one or more of the goals described above, including,
but not limited to: (1) funding to develop materials collections; (2) Library
programming; (3) services to children, teens and families; (4) services and
materials for parents, grandparents, or childcare workers, and (5) other
activities or expenditures on behalf of the literacy needs of children, teens
or families.
More information and the application form can be found here: http://libraries.vermont.gov/sites/libraries/files/vplf/vplfappspring10.pdfDeadline to apply is June 18, 2010.

Attention Public Library Directors and Library
Trustees! There are still a couple of sessions left for the 65th Annual town Officers'
Education Conferences sponsored by the UVM Extension and scheduled for April.
DOL has prepared 4 workshops of interest to library trustees: (1) Planned Giving;
(2) Blueprint for an Effective Library Board Meeting; (3) Responsibilities of
the Library Trustees; and (4) Show me the Money. The cost of the day (including lunch) is $60.00. Sessions to be held: April 20 - Grand
Summit, Mt. SnowApril 28 -
Holiday Inn & Conference Center, Rutland

The Vermont Public Library Foundation has purchased a Flip Video Ultra camcorderthat is available for Vermont public libraries to borrow. The Department of
Libraries will handle the loan of this equipment and we encourage public
libraries to borrow this equipment to practice using flip video technology, for
staff development activities, training, marketing and PR, programming, etc. DOL
is currently working on a loan policy and will send information out to
libraries in late April. The loan program will begin in May. For more information,
contact Renee Ancel at 802-828-3266 / renee.ancel@state.vt.us

The future of museums and libraries: a
discussion guide
/ produced by the IMLS Office of Policy, Planning, Research, and
Communications, under the direction of Mamie Bittner; Erica Pastore, program
analyst. Washington, D.C.:
IMLS, 2009.

Trilling,
Bernie. 21st century skills: learning for
life in our times. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, c2009.